Avi Arad

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As CEO and president of Marvel Studios, Avi Arad, a self-professed comic book fanatic, was largely responsible for the groundswell of interest in superheroes on both television and in film. Starting off as a toy designer, his successful track record - a line of X-Men action figures were massive bestsellers - allowed Arad to branch out into television animation, producing cartoon series such as "Spider-Man" (Fox, 1994-98). He put himself on the map as executive producer on successful feature film adaptations of "Blade" (1998), "X-Men" (2000), "Spider-Man" (2002) and "The Hulk" (2003). Aside from his filmmaking duties, the multi-talented Arad also oversaw the merchandising lines from these movies, in addition to those from the epic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. While some efforts like "Elektra" (2005) proved less satisfactory, hits on the order of "Iron Man" (2008), bore out Arad's assertion that, if done right, comic book heroes provided nearly limitless franchise - and merchandizing - opportunities. It was Arad's passion and vision that not only placed him at the table of Hollywood's elite filmmakers, but also helped transform a company once perilously close to bankruptcy into an entertainment juggernaut at the forefront of pop culture evolution.Born in August of 1948 in Ramat Gan, Israel, Arad came to the United States to attend Hofstra University where he earned his degree in industrial business management in 1972. After graduation, Arad worked in the toy design industry, soon becoming one of the most successful toy inventors in the business, earning credit for such designs as "Zap-It," "Skip-It" and "My Pretty Ballerina." So influential was Arad on the toy industry that major manufacturers, like Nintendo, Hasbro and Mattel, continued to sell his products for over 20 years. Later, he signed a deal that gave him part ownership of the company Toy Biz, which was a subsidiary of Marvel Enterprises, at the time. Meanwhile, Arad became interested in the entertainment industry and began executive producing numerous animated series, including "X-Men" (Fox, 1992-98), "Biker Mice from Mars" (UPN, 1993-96) and "Iron Man" (syndicated, 1994-96). Arad segued into the live action realm with "Generation X" (Fox, 1996), a made-for-TV movie based on the comic book of the same name. Next came "Nick Fury: Agent of Shield" (Fox, 1997), an adaptation of the comic series following the exploits of the cyclopean super spy, played to the campy hilt by David Hasselhoff. Arad was making strides with his television endeavors, but he had his sights set even higher, and so began actively pursuing major motion picture projects.When Arad began running Marvel Studios, Hollywood was none-too interested in adapting comic books. So bad was business for Marvel that by the time "Blade" (1998) was produced, the comic book giant was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Incredibly, Arad pulled the company back from the brink and not only sold Hollywood on its properties, but greatly influenced one of the biggest trends in mainstream filmmaking as the 20th-Century drew to a close. Though "Blade" was Arad's first feature film production for Marvel and a modest box office hit, major success did not arrive until the release of "X-Men" (2000). While not as well known in the mainstream as comic book properties like "Spider-Man" and "Superman," "X-Men" was a conscious choice for an early release due to its hardcore fan following and the empathetic nature of its ensemble of young societal outcasts. Helmed by A-list director Bryan Singer, modestly budgeted, and starring popular actors Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan and Halle Berry - whose salary demands had not yet reached stratospheric heights - "X-Men" went on to take in over $150 million in domestic box office, making a superstar of Hugh Jackman and launching a blockbuster franchise for 20th Century Fox. Indeed, "X-Men 2" (2003) was even more commercially successful and considered by many to be superior to its predecessor.A